on bringing up a child..

the script is roman, but the poem is in punjabi, and speaks about a native punjabi belief that i believe in a lot.

 

main, ma..

tussi saarya ne
badi oonchi peeng jhulaayi mainu
maa ai, maa o...
...
meri ma ne
bas inna keha
tu meri jaayi
meri lendaar si
kisi pichhle janam di..

is janam vich
main tera udhar
chukaya
tere sar
koi karz nahi chadaya
is janam vich
ai meri sewa sweekaar kar,
te meri jaan chhad...
teri meri
laindaari khatam..

is janam vich
meri usdi
lendaari khatam

te pher
tu aayon
khaure kede pichhle janam da bahi khata chuk ke
meri kukh vich payi
te main
saari umar
teri lendaari chukayi
ki tu
iss janam vich
meri sewa sweekar kar
te teri meri
lendaari mukki!

 

rough translation:

me, the mother.

the one everyone puts

on a pedestal:

mothers are this

and mothers are that.

 

but let me tell you

what my mother said

to me.

 

she just said,

"you, who has come from my womb

were my creditor

in an earlier birth

i died

without paying off your debt

and you

brought your debt

with you.

 

in serving you

i pay off

my debt

of an earlier birth

i do not

put a debt on you.

 

so here,

accept my service

in lieu of the debt

that i owed you

in a previous birth

and we are square."

thus ended
my mother's debt.
and then
god knows
with which book of accounts
you landed
in my womb.
and i
paid off your debt
in bringing you up.

so here,

accept my service

in lieu of the debt

that i owed you

in a previous birth

and we are square.